Palm Sunday was so meaningful for me this year - both the church service at Mount Olivet, and then the rally in St. Paul. I wasn't initially signed up for the event at the Capitol, because I had another event to take my younger three children to right after church that day, but something kept stirring in me to attend, so we did!

Because we didn't go with the group, we ended up parking nearby and just walking straight to the Capitol on our own. We got there on the earlier side, before the people in the march arrived. After a bit of waiting, I noticed the marchers arriving. I wish I would have taken a video of that moment, to capture what it was like to see a large crowd of people coming over the hill on the left side of the building. They kept coming...and coming...and coming! It was very emotional to see everyone flooding onto the lawn, signs in hand and from churches around the state. What a powerful moment I won't soon forget!

It has been a hard season to be a Christian these last 5-10 years. So much has been publicly done "in Christ's name" that doesn't look much like the Jesus I read about in the Bible. I have not wavered in my love for God, but I have certainly wavered in feeling comfortable identifying as a Christian, wondering if by outing myself I will have people ascribe violent, racist, and hateful attributes to me. However, Palm Sunday felt powerful as I was reminded that my understanding of Christianity - a religion that is filled with love for neighbor and care for the vulnerable - is not a view I alone hold, but there are so many others like me who see it as our calling as Christians to love.

I am so grateful I got to be a part of the Palm Sunday Rally for Justice and Love, and I know this experience will stick with me and continue giving me hope on the hard days. I am not alone. We are not alone. And together, we can love and care for our neighbors.

~ Amber Harder, Mount Olivet Member